Antara, Jakarta – Gielbran Muhammad Noor, the chairman of the Gadjah Mada University's (UGM) Student Executive Board (BEM), has been in the public spotlight after criticizing President Joko Widodo or Jokowi.
As previously reported, the students' council staged an action on campus on Dec. 8, declaring the President the most embarrassing alumnus of UGM and installing a giant billboard with his photo and the 'title'.
Following this action, a TikTok post with a photo of UGM Rector Prof. Ova Emilia and Gielbran went viral. The caption stated that the university had expelled Gielbran.
UGM Secretary Andi Sandi Antonius Tabusassa Tonralipu clarified the issue that it was a hoax or disinformation. "UGM did not expel the person in question," Andi told Antara in Jakarta, on Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023.
Andi also confirmed that the campus did not give Gielbran a warning in consideration that the action was a person's right to express their opinion. UGM, he added, only reminded students to uphold ethics and politeness when voicing criticism.
After the poster of the President as the most embarrassing UGM graduate, a counter billboard was recently put up saying that Jokowi was the proudest UGM alumnus. There was no action held in line with the poster installation.
Andi ensured that UGM would continue to provide space for students to express their opinions, but emphasized the importance of being polite and not disrupting order.